Mechanical musical instrument.



I?. B. KLUGH. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED Nov. I9. I9I0. II'ENEWED OCI'. Is, I9I5.

Putenfed May I6, 1916.

@Mew/ef' P, B. I LUGH. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED NOK/.19, IQIO. HENEW'ED OCT. I8. 1915. V 1,1833391v 121119111911 11115116, 19111.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Yto UNI

siraf'rns lr or PAUL BROWN KL'UGH, O1? CHCAGO, 1111411319153, ASSIGNO TG THE CABLE 3011i CHICAGO, ILLINIS, A CORORTION 0l? ELLINIS.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

incassa.

Application filed November 19, 1910, Serial No. 593,20fi.

To @ZZ @IJ/wm t may camcom Be it known that I, kann Brown lLUGi-i, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county `oi" Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates 'to mechanical musical instruments and especially to a type of instrument commonly called a player piano or piano player.

rlhe present invention relates more particularly, although not exclusively, to the accentuation of certain notes or series of notes to bring out solo edects.

rlhe object of the invention, when applied piano players or player pianos, is to provide means for producing the aforesaid solo ejects in an improved manner. Certain broad features of the solo device vherein set forth are claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 554,140, filed April 8, 191.0.

I have shown in co-pending applications Serial Nos. 593,208 and 593,205, filed of even date herewith (Nov. 19, 1910), systems in which I use power pneumatics to operate the piano action, and supplemental means, prei'- erably in the nature of removable stops, to limit the stroke either of the piano action or the pneumatics, by the operation of which solo effects may be produced. Il`he supplemental means are preferably operated by what I term ,auxiliary or solo pneumatics, Both power and auxiliary or solo pneumatics are preferably under the control of the tracker board. In my present invention. I accomplish the saine or sin results by the use of what I term lresilient abutinents, against which operatiinel portions of the action act, and the control of these resilient. abutments by supplemental preferably in the form of solo pneuniatics, to thereby secure the solo effects as set forth in my aforesaid application Serial No.. 554,140. I

I will describe my invention more in detail by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the piano action, the keys, tracker board, and other associated mecha- Specitication ci" Letters Patent.

` mechanical means,

'Renewed c'ccber 1S, 1915.

enlarged detail view of the apparatus or' my invention as shown in Fig. 1; Fig Il shows a modification of the apparatus set forth in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an end view of the apparatus of Fig. el; and Fig. 6 is a detail view to illustrate more clearly the apparatus of ltigs. -land 5. I

Referring initially to Fig. 1, I show a musical instrument having strings 1 to be lstruck by a piano action :2

which may be under the control of a series of keys 3. its illustrating the invention, ll show arms s which likewise serve to actuate the piano action. to strike the strings 1.

The arms or members sl are actuated by power pneuinatics 5 which are controlled through suitable valve mechanisms '6, tubes T leading therefrom to the tracker board el at the openings 9. Supplemental or solo pneumatics 10 are controlledby valve mechanisms 11 which are connected by tubes 12 with the openings 13 in the tracker board. S.

. music sheet lil, having narrow openings 15 which cooperate only with the openings 9 and wide openings 16 coperating with both openings 9 and 13, is used to selectively control the actuation of pneumatics and 10 in accordance with the operation set forth in my aforesaid cti-pending application tassello.

A rail 17 is provided assliown, through which the rods 18 project. lhere is preferabiv one solo pneumatic 10 for each power pneumatic 5, and a single rod passing through the rail 1 7 is associated withy both of said pneumatics of 'that particular group or set. An arm a' is likewise associated with cach rod 18. blow, whena narrow' music sheet opening uncovers a tracker opening 9, and a power pneumatic collapses, in tie operation of the deyiceg. it acts against a spring 10 interposed between the arm 2G' the respective solo pneumatic 1.0 anl the are uncovered by awide opening 1c of music sheet 1/1 to cause the actuation of l vention, what I vso ` case with the construction set forth in nected to, said pneumatic,

4only the power pneumatic 5 of aigiven note,

downwardly so that, as the power pneu-l matic 5 collapses, a loud note is sounded, as the pneumatic 5, does not, in that case,have to operate against the full tension of the spring 19.

In the modification of the device set forth in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the arm 20 has a forked extension comprising the prongs 21, 21 which restl on top of a washer 22, which washer is in association with the spring. In this form of carrying out the invention, the power pneumatic operates against the spring 19 but in this operation does not collapse the supplemental or solo pneumatic 10 as is the Figs.

1 and ,3.

The tracker board and music sheet disclosed herein are set forth nd claimedin a copending application of ine, Serial No. 554,142, filed April 8, 1910, tracker board and music sheet.

I Certain broader features of the invention herein set forth and claimed are also disclosed and claimed broadly in my copending application, Serial No. 598,203, filed November 19, 1910, mechanical musical instruments.

- While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention., I do not mea'n to limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement as herein set forth, but

Having thus described one form of my inclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described in combination, a power pneumatic, a rod connected to said pneumatic, an abutment through which said rod runs, aplate, a spring having one end bearing against said abutment and having the other end bearing against said plate for engaging said rod to oppose said power pneumatic, and a solo pneumatic for compressing said spring.

In a device of the class described in combination, a power pneumatic, a rod connected to said pneumatic, an abutment through which said rod runs, aspring having one end bearing against said abutment and having a plate at its other end, a stop on said rod coperating with said plate, and a solo pneumatic having engagement with said plate for compressing said spring independently of said rod.

3.'.In/a device of the class described in combination, a power pneumatic, a rod conan abutment, a spring surrounding said rod and having one end resting against said abutment, a plate associated with the other end of said spring,

.stop on said rod for Lcontacting with said said plate.

4l. A device of the character described comprising an action, a resilient abutment therefor, power pneumatics to operate said action and act against said abutment, and independently movable solo pneumatics also acting against said abutment to change the stroke of said action.

5. A device of the character described comprising an action, a resilient abutment therefor, power pneumatics for operating said action, independently movable solo pneumatics to change the condition of said abutment to thereby increase the stroke of.

said action, and an operating spindle common to the power and solo pneumatics of a given group.

6. A device of the character described comprising an action, a resilient abutment therefor, power pneumatics to operate said action and act against said abutment, independentlymovable solo pneumatics also acting on said abutment to change the stroke of said action, and an operating spindle co'mmon to the power and solo pneumatics of a given group.

7. A device of the character described comprising an action, a power pneumatic to operate said action, a spring against which said power pneumatic normally operates,v

and independent pneumatic means controlled from the tracker board tov change the opposing effect of said spring upon said power pneumatic.

8. A device of. the character described comprising an action, a power pneumatic to operate said action,,a spring against which said power pneumatic normally operates, and solo pneumatics controlled from the tracker board to change the opposing effect of said spring independently movable upon. said power pneumatic.

9. In an automatic piano in combination, an action, a rod forming part of said acti-on, and a plurality of pneumatics for acting on said rod, one of said pneumatics having a fast connection with said rod and another of said pneumatics.,having a loose connection therewith.

10. A device of the character described comprising in combination, an action, power pneumatics 'to operate said action, solo pneumatics movable independently of said power pneuinatics, rods forming part of said action tached to said rod for operating it in one di- `rection, a support, a spring abutting against said support at one end for opposing the action of said pneumatic on said rod, and a solo pneumatic provided withV means for compressing said spring independently of the movement of said rod.

13. device of the class described comprising in combination, a tracker board having two sets of apertures, there being an aperture in each set for each note controlled by the tracker board, an action including rods, power pneumatics for operating said rods connectedthereto, a support, springs for opposing said power pneuinatics abutting against said support at one end and having lost motion connections with said rods, solo -pneumatics for collapsing said springs independently ofthe movement of said rods and connections between the apertures of one set and said power pneumatics and between thev apertures of the other set and said solo pneumatics.

14. The. combination with a piano action, of pneumatics for actuating the same, resilient abutments opposing the actuation of said piano action by said pneumatics, and means for changing the opposing action of said abutments without actuating said pneumatics.

15. The combination of a power pneumatic, a rod connected to said pneumatic, an abutment, a spring surrounding said ro'd and rhaving one end resting upon said abutment,

a plate associated with the other .end of said spring, a projection on said rod for contacting with said plate, and a second pneumaticV for compressing said spring having an arm for engaging said plate.

16. The combination with blow striking members, of resilient abutments opposing the blow striking movements of said members, and pneumatic means for acting upon said abutments to change their opposition to said blow striking member movements without actuating said blow striking members.

17. The combination with blow striking members, or pneumatcs for actuating the same, spring means forming resilient abutinents opposing the striking movements of said blow striking members, and other pneumatics for acting upon said spring means to lessen their opposition to the blow striking movements of said members without actuating said blow striking members or said iirst mentioned pneumatics.

1S. The combination of a tracker having .two rows of apertures, note sounding mecha.-

nism, pneumatic means connected with one of said rows of apertures for actuating said note sounding mechanism, other pneumatic A means connected with the other row of apertures, and resilient abutments opposing the operation ot' said irst mentioned pneumatics means and acted uponl by said second mentioned pneumatic means to lessen said opposition.

19. The combination of a tracker having two rows of apertures, blow striking members, mechanism connected with the apertures of one of said rows for actuating said blow striking members, mechanism connected with the apertures of the other of said rows and resilient abutments opposing the blow striking movements of said members and acted ,upon by said last mentioned mechanism to change the extent of said opposition. v

20. The combination with'a piano action, of a pneumatic action including a setof pneumatics for operating the piano action and also including other .pneumatics combined with spring means opposing the actuating movements of the first mentioned set of pneuinatics and acted upon to change said opposition by said other pneumatics, and a vtracker having front and rear rows or' apertures whereof the front row is connected with the first mentioned set of pneumatics and the rear row with said other pneumatics.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe Witnesses W. N. JOHNSON, N. D. ToBiN.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,183,739, granted Iv'iey i6, 3.916,

upon the application of Paul Brown Klugh, of Chicago, illinois,r for en improv ment in Mechanical lMusical nstrumente, errore appear in the printed .fgeeiiezition requiring'eorreetion as follows: Page 2, line 136, Gleim 8, before the wordy f solo i insert the Words independently movable," same page and claim, line 108, Strike out the Words independently m0vable; m16 thatl the said Letters Patent should ne lread With these corrections therein that the saine may conform to the record el the case in the Patent Office. I

Signed and sealed this 2d clay of January, A. D., 19V?.

R. F, WHITEHEAD,

. Acting Oomfmis-sz'omr fPae/nls. Cl. SLi-160.

[SEAL] f 

